Thai Airways 'sorry' passengers forced to vacate seats for crew

[Khundon1975]

My wife and son normally fly EVA Air but last trip in August
booked with Thai Aiways.
We booked tickets 10 weeks In advance and asked for allergy free food for our son on both out bound and inbound flights. Phoned a week before flight to confirm dietary needs.
On the outbound LHR-BKK there was no food provided for him, not even sandwiches! Wife rang Thai Air HQ to request allergy free meal for him on return flight and the same happened on the return flight, no meal supplied!
No excuses given. 🤬

What a crap airline, we’ll never use them again and stick to EVA from now on.

If you’re reading this THAI AIRWAYS you’re rubbish. 🤬🤬🤬

[buksida]

Never flown Thai simply because they're always at least 30% more expensive for the same flight than everyone else.

Had a nightmare with Qatar this summer also so won't be flying with them again either!

[Nereus]

When I worked in the Middle East I had to use them as it fit in with my 28 day rotation. I had a Gold Card, but a white face, so that was not much help! Just about every flight there would be one problem or another, including providing shrimps despite telling them I was allergic. Not a serious problem for me, but it could kill some people.

On one occasion I went to Thai head office on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in Bangkok after a particularly bad experience.

The office is a human rabbit warren! Thousands of staff wandering around with nothing to do. I asked how many complaints do you receive every month: " oh, at least 2,000 was the proud reply!". I do not know the current staff to aircraft ratio, but at that time they had 23,000 staff, when Singapore Airlines had about 15,000.

My late wife knew one of the vice presidents and he used to come to our house occasionally. He told us that the staff structure gave a new meaning to cronyism, that it was virtually impossible to obtain any type of job without some existing connection.

[Nereus]

'Musical chairs' pilots expose internal rifts

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/genera ... rnal-rifts

The probe into the controversial delay of a Thai Airways International (THAI) flight from Zurich to Bangkok on Oct 11, seen as having highlighted internal rifts in the national carrier, will conclude next week, according to Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith.

The flight from the Swiss city was delayed for over two hours after two pilots on a non-working schedule demanded they be put in first class, which was full.
The seats were full because some passengers in business class had been upgraded.

The pilots insisted it was an industry regulation that required them to get enough rest before they begin work again and the first-class seats were part of the deal.
A THAI pilot, who was not among the two, said the pilots were correct in claiming they had the right to access first-class seats when available.(WHEN AVAIABLE )

Ground staff were called in to explain why no seats had been reserved for the two pilots on that flight.

The Zurich-Bangkok flight normally uses a Boeing 777, which only has business and economy seats. But a malfunction in Zurich prompted the airline to use a Boeing 747 instead.

The 747 offers first class seating, which the pilots assumed they were entitled to. But the ground staff did not relegate the upgraded passengers back to business class.

The standoff delayed the flight until two passengers, reportedly a high-ranking Thai official and his wife, volunteered to forfeit their upgrade.

The couple filed a formal complaint with THAI upon their return to Bangkok.

The issue sparked outrage on social media, with users criticising the airline for being unable to settle a relatively trivial mix-up between its pilots and ground staff, with passengers effectively being held "hostage" while it was resolved.

Mr Arkom said yesterday the pilots' claim that they had the right to occupy first-class seats was subject to the company's internal regulations.

Then there is this; If as manager he will not intervene, then just who is running the airline?

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[hin]

We have a neighbor who LOVES Thai Airways - lots of empty deats..

[Groodman]

On their arrival at BKK could it be that the pilots were scheduled to take a flight out from Bangkok & therefore needed to arrive refreshed

[barrys]

On their arrival at BKK could it be that the pilots were scheduled to take a flight out from Bangkok & therefore needed to arrive refreshed

Wouldn't they have been refreshed enough if they'd flown business class?

[Nereus]

On their arrival at BKK could it be that the pilots were scheduled to take a flight out from Bangkok & therefore needed to arrive refreshed

I doubt it very much. Several variables involved, company rules, union rules, regulator duty times just to name a few of them. Although deadheading as a passenger is not regarded as fight time, especially in this case as the pilots were not rated on 747s, they are on company duty, and for a 12 + hour flight I think that they would be entitled to claim that they had exceeded their maximum duty hours.

A different matter if they were to deadhead from Bangkok to Singapore for example, as they would still be within their allowed duty hours.